Dota 2 is the second most popular game on Steam after Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This game is popular because of its interesting mechanics, and a number of strategy elements. So that, it is not surprising that Dota 2 is one of the most popular eSports disciplines. However, Dota2 betting is hard for many people and has many nuances, that should be included before placing a wager. In this article, we will try to find out, why betting on Dota 2 cybersports is so unstable, and which factors affect incredible transformation in the eSports community. Also, you new gamblers will have an opportunity to collect more information about the game itself to make it easier for them to understand its mechanics.
What Is Dota 2?
Dota 2 is a MOBA game. There is a field, where players have to fight to gain gold and experience. Each team consists of 5 players. The target of each team is to destroy the Ancient, the main building on the enemies’ base.
There are more than 100 heroes, with unique spells and stats. The right combination of them allows getting an advantage over the enemy team and winning the game.
The battlefield contains many different structures, which provide both benefits and obstacles for both teams. You cannot see an enemy which is higher than your character, and even if you see him, he is more likely to avoid your attacks.
The game is based on Random mechanics, which means, that your damage always fluctuates between two different values. So that, you can kill the enemy with 10 hits, or leave him alive with only 5 health points left. These are the basics of Dota 2 mechanics.
What Were Dota 2 Cybersports Like Before?
Back in the day, Dota was just a modification for Warcraft. People liked it immediately. It granted them a new experience and gave them the spirit of the competition.
Dota was a game, where you didn’t have to have that much skill. You just could overplay your opponent with your clicking ability, which meant, that people could just chill in the evening, and defeat the best players of that time.
However, when Dota 2 was released, it became even more hyped. The system Valve provided caused more people to dream about having it on their accounts. You couldn’t have the game for free, but you could get an invite from someone.
People felt like the ones from some elite society. However, the inviting system didn’t mean, that the eSports team would not appear. They did, and Valve realised, that some small tournaments for them is not only the loss of some profit but also the loss of potential audience.
So they gave players motivation to be the best in this game. However, this decision changed the cybersports community.
The International
The International was the tournament held in Cologne in 2011. The prize pool was $1,000,000, which was an unattainable amount of money for most Dota 2 players. And that was the reason, why they became that motivated to win it.
All the teams were preparing for the tournament. And it was the real spirit of the game. In 2011 no one was even thinking about betting on Dota 2, while different gambling websites for the game’s audience did just start to appear. The first International was won by the Ukrainian team Natus Vincere. And Valve understood that such a great tournament needs to be annual. And they understood that they need to increase the prize pool.
The first Compendium appeared in 2013. It was the Battle Pass, which was only 10 dollars worth. Buying The Compendium and different add-ons to it, you did increase the prize pool of the upcoming International. About 25% of the whole income went directly to the bank. And that motivated more and more people to buy it. In 2013 it gave more than 2.5 million to the prize pool.
Every year, the bank increases significantly, and more and more teams appear to conquer for it. But the only issue is that the International is one of the worst things that happened to cybersports.
How The International Changed The Dota Cybersports Community
Speaking roughly, the International killed the spiritual bonds almost of every team. And many professional analysts and CEOs of big eSports organizations claim that The International is the worst thing that happened to Dota 2.
The issue is that this tournament is the most precious event of the year. For many teams, it is important to show incredible results and win money. Money is the greatest motivation for the teams now. So that, if the result is not satisfying, the teams just break apart. That’s it. The average team lifespan is 9 months, from the end of one International and to the beginning of another.
However, even winning the tournament will not be enough to keep your team intact. After winning, many teams just relax, so that, the next year they will not show the results everyone expects from them. And the fate of such teams is obvious - disband.
Dota 2 teams are now really unstable, and you cannot be sure, that your favorite players will not break apart the next day.
But even players from other games are a little bit jealous. They don’t understand, why only Dota 2 is the game to get such a great amount of money. This also causes some conflicts inside different organizations, even into 2024.
What May Also Be Challenging?
One more fact, that makes Dota 2 even more complicated, is its regular updates. And it is great that you always have the game checked by the developers, have the in-game balance fixed. But the issue is that the professional players have to new rules of the game.
Sometimes, upgrades may cause some teams to just skip the year of tournaments because the players didn’t manage to just keep up with them. On the other hand, sometimes the upgrade may be just on time, which gives outsiders an opportunity to gain a fast advantage in the game.
Why Dota 2 Is So Risky To Bet On
Dota is one of the riskiest eSports disciplines to bet on now. The fact, that the main tournament of the year just causes teams to always split up, makes the atmosphere inside them murky and depressive. You cannot be sure, that one of the best teams will not lose to some outsiders, because of the responsibility they feel.
Even more, upgrades also may ruin the plans and strategies of many teams, which leads them to lose all the advantages they may have had. So that, you need to be extremely careful betting on Dota 2 events, and always check what’s new in-game.
